1886 – Figure

Physical description:

A small human figure, head (with hat), torso and one arm only, made of wood and with the torso and arm wrapped with skin. The face has eyebrows and nose deeply carved, and eyes, mouth and beard painted in black.

Museum classification:

Spells and Charms

Size:

140 x 55 x 100

Information:

The brim of the hat is chipped, and some parts of the figure seem to be missing. There is no evidence it originally had legs, but there is a small hole in the right shoulder suggesting that something was fixed there, although the hole is not as big as the hole for the existing left arm. The left arm is loose, but when placed in the correct position is held out with the hand in a clenched fist with the palm downwards; a hole in the hand suggests it may have held something. There is black and red paintwork on the hand, including a black line painted round the wrist. There are stitch marks on the skin on the right side, so something is clearly missing there.There is thread wrapped round the neck and thinner thread wrapped round below the brim of the hat. The hat is painted black and red and has traces of thread at the top of the crown.

An accompanying letter from the donor reads: 'He was given to me by a relative when I was 14 so I have had him for 31 years. My relative insists that he was passing by a museum which had a fire and ... he spotted the voodoo doll in a case and took a liking to it. He decided to save it by taking it home... and says that there was a card with it explaining how the skins of deceased witch doctors were made into dolls in their effigy so the powers could continue. For whatever reason he gave it to me and I took it to school one day to show my friends. One girl (Janet) offered some of her hair and so we put it around the doll's neck and removed the arm as we did not know what else to do and waited to see what would happen. This was during our lunch period and when the bell rang for afternoon lessons we set off for our classes and Janet tripped over and fell down a flight of steps and broke her arm in about four places (the same arm we had removed from the doll). Needless to say I have never played around with it since. I have always sensed there is a power about the doll and have never known how to get rid of it as I did not want to burn it or destroy it in any way in case it took revenge on me.' The donor then describes various problems she has experienced, which have been resolved since donating the figure to the museum. 'I feel more positive about things now and I honestly believe the doll was a negative force in my life.'

As there was a fire at Cecil Williamson's museum at Bourton-in-the-Water it is just possible that was the fire referred to and this figure was originally there.

The style of the figure suggests that it is South American rather than Caribbean, so it is unlikely to be connected with 'Voodoo' - i.e. Vodou.

Resource:

Object

Materials:

Wood, skin

Copyright ownership:

Treetrunk Ltd

The brim of the hat is chipped, and some parts of the figure seem to be missing. There is no evidence it originally had legs, but there is a small hole in the right shoulder suggesting that something was fixed there, although the hole is not as big as the hole for the existing left arm. The left arm is loose, but when placed in the correct position is held out with the hand in a clenched fist with the palm downwards; a hole in the hand suggests it may have held something. There is black and red paintwork on the hand, including a black line painted round the wrist. There are stitch marks on the skin on the right side, so something is clearly missing there.There is thread wrapped round the neck and thinner thread wrapped round below the brim of the hat. The hat is painted black and red and has traces of thread at the top of the crown.

An accompanying letter from the donor reads: 'He was given to me by a relative when I was 14 so I have had him for 31 years. My relative insists that he was passing by a museum which had a fire and ... he spotted the voodoo doll in a case and took a liking to it. He decided to save it by taking it home... and says that there was a card with it explaining how the skins of deceased witch doctors were made into dolls in their effigy so the powers could continue. For whatever reason he gave it to me and I took it to school one day to show my friends. One girl (Janet) offered some of her hair and so we put it around the doll's neck and removed the arm as we did not know what else to do and waited to see what would happen. This was during our lunch period and when the bell rang for afternoon lessons we set off for our classes and Janet tripped over and fell down a flight of steps and broke her arm in about four places (the same arm we had removed from the doll). Needless to say I have never played around with it since. I have always sensed there is a power about the doll and have never known how to get rid of it as I did not want to burn it or destroy it in any way in case it took revenge on me.' The donor then describes various problems she has experienced, which have been resolved since donating the figure to the museum. 'I feel more positive about things now and I honestly believe the doll was a negative force in my life.'

As there was a fire at Cecil Williamson's museum at Bourton-in-the-Water it is just possible that was the fire referred to and this figure was originally there.

The style of the figure suggests that it is South American rather than Caribbean, so it is unlikely to be connected with 'Voodoo' - i.e. Vodou.